When phrases like the 'modern Nancy Sinatra' or the 'new Brigitte Bardot' are being thrown around about a singer, your expectations are set pretty high. Luckily, Lana Del Rey with her faded Hollywood glamour vocals, her sweet as cherry pie looks and encapsulation of Chateau Marmont antics past meets and surpasses all anticipation. Remember that scene in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' when Jessica Rabbit emerged from behind the curtain all leggy and doe eyed and with a throaty, yet silky sweet voice perfectly fitting for the smoky Blues club setting; Lizzy Grant aka Lana Del Rey is kind of having that moment right now. Whilst her voice like Jessica Rabbit's wouldn't be out of place in a jazz club, Lana Del Rey is choosing to showcase her stunning vocals through Vincent Gallo inspired youtube videos, featuring an amalgamation of footage from snippets of orchestras to Boardwalk Empire's Paz de la Huerta's drunken demise. Such videos makes her vocals all the more cinematic, hard hitting and atmospheric. It is through these Lana Del Rey demonstrates she is not just a voice paralleling past starlets, nor is she attempting to channel Amy Winehouse's retro vocals; Lana Del Rey has a clear vision and is utilising it to cut her own mould. I mean, she even describes her own music perfectly as 'Hollywood Pop/Sad Core,' a genre she is making entirely her own. Such descriptions make her all the more enchanting and her music almost haunting in its self-crafted straddling of old and new.
Born in the rural town of Lake Placid (the name says it all), New York , having resided in a number of places from Alabama to New Jersey, Lana Del Rey now spends most of her time in London where she is recording her highly anticipated debut album. And did I mention, she's gorgeous too? Often pictured with Edie Sedgwick smoky eyes, Brigitte Bardot flowing golden hair and pastel hued outfits, it is clear Lana Del Rey's style has been influenced by histories greats in the same way her music has.
Perhaps, better than any words I have though to describe her is Lana Del Rey's own characterisation: "No matter where in the world Lana is, her love of film noir, Italian landscapes, big Churches, roller coasters and the memory of faded stars like Bette Davis, Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Elvis are the chorus line for her music, and her love of New York is her heartbeat." I think this probably surmises just why I have fallen so in love with Lana Del Rey's music; within the music industry we have become adjusted to female stars using sex appeal or shock factors to sell records, I think what Lana Del Rey is doing is stripping all that back and channeling the class and excitement embroiled in the Hollywood stars of old. It is because of this I can't wait to see what she does next; be it Blues Club or Arena.
